What lies beneath

Here in the Midwest, we are continuing to enjoy amazing autumn weather. Last weekend we visited a local pumpkin patch.

Every year, my kids enjoy just being outside, running around, going through the corn maze, and sliding down this silly and fun bumpy slide.

This year, my kids happened to be jumping in the bouncy house with another little girl, and I ended up making small talk with her mom and grandfather. It turns out they were just in town for a few days for a family funeral.

She told me how her grandmother truly had lived a long and lovely life. Despite her strong front, she was grieving all the same. We talked about childhood memories and her daughter enjoying some time with her grandparents. Throughout the morning, we ran into each other at different sections of the pumpkin patch and offered to take each other’s family photos.

We saw these:

These gourds are not very attractive on the surface, but, like their smooth-skinned counterparts, they are just as soft and full of life on the inside. Sometimes people are the same. We might be pleasant and attractive on the outside, but hurting and full of pain on the inside. It is hard to wear your emotions on your face all the time – in fact, I think we work hard to put on a stoic face. Because of that, we don’t always try to look beneath the surface.

I’ve missed plenty of opportunities to find out what lies beneath. It is a hazard of harried family life, I suppose.

But another thing I’ve learned is that sharing is beneficial for everyone ~ myself included. I am grateful for those who listen to me as well. We all need someone to walk with ~ someone to see what lies beneath. Because we all put on a façade – and we are all dealing with things we don’t wear on our faces. And, we all need to look at and share what lies beneath.